「I don’t mind, I don’t mind. It’s not like I even know how to play the game. So come and take anything you might need. Just don’t start fighting for them.」
When she said that, some kids were finally convinced that they could take them and began speaking to those beside them. That made even more of them to get convinced.
「You know, I really think they’ll start fighting. Just from a glance and anyone can tell that there are really useful cards here.」
「Hmmm… is that so?」
When the boy told her that, she realized that a first come, first serve system would eventually lead to fights between the children.
So Mira took a rare card, then faced the crowd.
「Is there anyone here who wants this card?」
She asked the children. When they heard her, all the ruckus calmed down. A second later one of the children said 「Me」, then a similar voice rang out from another part of the crowd and it was soon followed by others.
(So many of them want just this single card already. My first idea was really not suited for this after all.)
「Then, everyone who wants it can decide who gets it by playing rock paper scissors. The one who wins gets the card.」
Once she said that, she began wondering if they even knew about rock paper scissors in this world, but before she could think too much about it, the children were already facing each other and energetically playing it out.
Mira was unaware about it, but that was another game past players had created in that world during the last 30 years.
The card shop soon became a rock paper scissors tournament which quickly decided the distribution of the rarest of cards.
That left the uncommon and common cards remaining, but not many were interested in those, so anyone who wanted them could take them.
With time, the children were either satisfied with what they received or got bored, so they thanked her and began leaving the table. In the end, only the boy that had spoken to her first remained there.
「If you don’t need the remaining cards, you can leave them in that box over there. Anyone can take the cards from there.」
「Oh, I see.」
When Mira asked him what she could do with the remaining cards, the boy replied while pointing to a black box that stood in one of the corners of the shop. It was like a recycling box for duplicate or useless cards.
With the cards in her hands, she headed towards there and looked into the box. There were already around a hundred of them already there. She put her cards into it while remembering the days when she herself looked through boxes like those for cards.
「Thank you for helping me so much, kid.」
When she was done with that, she turned to the boy and patted his head with the smile of a grandfather spoiling his grandson.
The boy stood confused at her sudden action, staring at her arm with his mouth half open. His thoughts wandered at a leisurely pace until he finally understood what she was doing.
「I-it was nothing special!」
He had started calming down, but his cheeks were once again flushed red. He glared straight at her out of instinct, but as soon as their eyes met, he looked away and let his eyes wander around randomly in confusion. He still had not developed the courage to look straight at her.
Mira however, did not heed any attention to his actions, they were the same as when she first met him after all. She just thought they were the actions of a restless boy.
「Well then, I have to go before the sun sets.」
With that quick goodbye, Mira began walking towards the exit. The boy watched her and seeing how she appeared to be more distant with every step she took, he raised his voice without thinking.
「Hey-!」
Something seemed to interrupt his voice, leaving him unsure if she had heard him or not. But she did, as she stopped her steps and turned around.
「What is it, did something happen?」
Her silver hair flowed behind her. Feeling her gaze like a cold spring breeze again, his heart began racing, but this time he managed to control himself.
「I’m… Marian… and you?」
「Oh, now that you mention it, I didn’t tell you my name yet. I’m Mira.」
「So you’re… Mira」
The boy, Marian, muttered her name as if trying to digest it. Then, following the feelings that made him wish their encounter was not limited to that single day, he continued speaking.
「Mira… are you coming tomorrow as well?」
Hearing that question, Mira quickly remembered her following plans.
She would be heading to the Holy Gate of the Station City to spend the night there. Then, depending on her schedule, she would be leaving towards the Arkite Kingdom at around noon. Until then, she would be sightseeing around the Station City and maybe buy some souvenirs for Solomon and the others if she could afford it.
Which meant that she would already be gone from that city the next day.
「I’m leaving the city later today. I won’t be coming tomorrow.」
「I see…」
Hearing her reply, Marian hung his head down as he muttered with sadness. But a moment later he reaffirmed his spirit and lifted his face before he reached to his waist pouch and took out his case, then taking a card out from it.
「I…I’ll give you this! So…」
So don’t forget about me. He wanted to finish the sentence like that before he stopped. For him, this was the utmost he could do to express his feelings.
But Mira tilted her head, unable to understand the feelings of the boy offering her such a rare and hard to acquire card out of the blue. She was satisfied having seen it, so there was no meaning for her in possessing it.
So the only thing she could think of now, was that she could not possibly take something that was so important for the boy.
「What are you saying, I don’t-」
She was about to tell him that she had no reason to take it when she finally realized Marian’s feelings. His nervous behavior, his face lit like the sun in a bright red, and his will to give his most important possession to a girl.
Those were the actions of a boy who was trying to show off in front of a girl he had fallen for.
(I see now. It makes sense that a young boy would get so confounded after meeting a beautiful girl like me.)
「Isn’t that card really important for you? I can’t take it. But I really appreciate the sentiment.」
As Mira spoke, she extended her hand and placed it above Marian’s. Feeling that sudden movement, his eyes quickly turned to their hands and his mouth began opening and closing like a fish’s as he tried to find something to say, but his mind was completely blank, so all he could say in the end was 「Ahh…」.
「Grow up healthy, Marian. Listen to your parents, and value your friends a lot.」
「I know! Don’t talk like my grandpa now.」
Mira took a step back as she smiled mischievously while saying that, in reply, Marian raised his voice just like any child would, but then averted his eyes feeling the approaching farewell.
「Well then, I have to go.」
「Come back sometime. I’m always around here after all!」
「If I get the chance.」
Mira waved as she headed out the store. Marian stared intently at her until she was out of sight, as if trying to burn her image into his eyes.
「I’m quite the devilish woman.」
Muttering that to herself, Mira climbed on her pegasus and flied away from the Holy City of Ridel.
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